


Le Bête el Le Fou

by pearpas



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017), Beauty and the Beast - Fandom
Genre: F/M, I used a ton of characters from Liz Braswells As old as time book, Just isn't traditionally practiced, M/M, also: I guess internalized conflict?, au where the beast is gaston and Lefou is still gay, basically a romance where gaston is the beast and there's fluff, being gay is accepted, gafou, is there a villain?? Idk, lmao idk what I'm doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-10-29 18:08:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10859289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearpas/pseuds/pearpas
Summary: Once upon a time,in a faraway land,a young warrior lived in a shining castle.  Although he had everything his heart desired, the manwas immodest, selfish, and didn't contain a single strand of humility.He had everything he could ever want, but his cruel and cold heart led him to become cursed.He will maintain the form of a beast, his servants taking the form of furntiture. If he did not learn to love and thaw his frozen heart before the the last petal on his rose wilted, he will remain a beast forever.But? Who could ever learn to love a hideous beast.





	1. Candlesticks and Macbeth

The sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter than it had before. The day seemed different- as if something were to change. 

Change was the one thing Lefou had been dying for. Life with his aunt, Foufou, was charming to say the least, but he'd been wanting more. The towns people were the same, along with the stone pavement that lead him to his uneventful home. 

Where the most exciting thing to happen is whenever the baker discovers a new desert. Or to wake up and realize: wow, I survived the plague. 

Lefou wasn't especially keen on keeping up appearances. He thought that at this point everyone in town should already understand he wasn't interested in wedding a girl nor was he interested in boasting about his accomplishments in war.  
He'd much rather have someone to impress. To have someone he can look up to and tell them just how amazing they are. How amazing they always will be.

That was until he fully understood thinking like that would end him in an insane asylum with Monsieur D'Arque. Yeah- no thanks.

Lefou ignored the commotion erupting from outside the bookstore. The way the word "Bonjour" seemed to echo throughout the town was both familiar and welcoming. But, nothing seemed to be as welcoming as Lévi's bookstore did.

"Good morning, Lévi!" Lefou yelled as he stepped carefully into the storefront. He received a quiet "Bonjour", with which he was satisfied with and made his way to the place where Shakespeare's plays were kept.

He ran his fingers across the spines of the books until they landed upon one entitled Macbeth. No, he didn't enjoy reading. Reading was for nerds, obviously. But he had to attend to his aunt constantly.

"We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we’ll not fail," Lévi murmured as he slowly approached Lefou."I remember reading this not too long ago.. That's the only quote I remember- or that I cared to remember at the time."

Lefou nodded slowly, uninterested but wanting to maintain his act of respect.

"Any reason why you're here? you don't seem like the type to read Shakespeare." Lévi chuckled as he motioned towards the book. 

"My great aunt, she's not doing well and I just want to preoccupy her until I figure out what to do with her."

"You could turn her in to Monsieur D'Ar-"

"That's the last thing I want to do. I'm sure you've heard of the rumors and I do not want to risk her going through that place. She doesn't deserve it and it saddens me you'd even suggest such a thing," Lefou interrupted. He puffed out his chest and glared towards the shopkeeper, gripping the book. He reached into his pocket and shoved the money for the book into his hands. "Thank you for the novel."

He rushed home- completely ignoring the pleasantries the townspeople expected from him. He had no desire nor patience to wait until the rest of the town gets word of his outburst towards Monsieur Levi.

He just hoped they wouldn't take action into their own hands and force his aunt out of their home. He knew anything those people didn't understand, they either destroyed or isolated.

~~~~

He ran up the stairs of his cottage, kicking off any remnants of dirt left on his boots before he entered his home. 

He laid the book down on a table near the front door, pulling off his coat and hanging it on his coat rack.  
"Bonjour, tante!" Lefou's voice filled the quiet home. He walked towards his aunt's room, pushing open the door to find her curled up in her bed. 

The sight of Foufou filled him with joy. Even if people might consider their relatives a burden, she'd always accepted and loved him. It wasn't until her husband had died that she grew more cold and distant. 

She laughed softly, motioning for her nephew to sit besides her bed.  
"Lefou, have you seen your uncle recently?"she asked, her clouded eyes seeming as if they couldn't see Lefou. It was as if she saw something beyond their home."He hasn't been.. home. We should send a search party out into the woods. H-he should be home by now.."Her voice trailed off as she came back to her senses. 

Lefou smoothed the stray hairs along her forehead and gave her a warm smile. He knew it wasn't healthy to keep up these lies, but they were the only thing keeping his only surviving relative alive. His uncle had been missing for months now and everyone had accepted the fact he either died or left his wife for someone younger."He'll  
be home soon. You know how far the city is from here. He's probably just held up somewhere." 

Foufou stared up at her nephew, lips parted slightly as he backed away slowly into the hallway. 

She was delusional. Lefou knew it was only a matter of time, but, he wanted to cherish these few moments he had left with her. 

Lefou quickly went back to the front door and picked up the book he had bought. He thumbed through the pages and returned to his aunt's room. He held it up with a grin, heart bursting as he saw the excitement he always loved return to her eyes. 

"Another book! How great!"her eyes glittered with excitement as Lefou returned to his spot besides her and opened up to the first page of the play.

 

~~~~

Time went on and after reading through the first scene of the play, Lefou put the book down and started to the kitchen to make his aunt her lunch.  
After that, he began to make her dinner.

His life was the same everyday and he knew this was how it would continue to be. Day after day of caring for Foufou and avoiding the topic of marriage whenever he can.

As night fell, he retired to his room as soon as he made sure his relative was asleep. That night, he had a dream.

A tall beast. Talking furniture. 

Antlers and a rose.

The sound of his uncle's screams as he was thrown into a cell. 

He shot up from bed, partially because of his odd dream and the banging on his door.  
He rushed to his door, his hair in a lazy pony tail as he peeked out the door.  
It was Maurice, his hair wet with sweat and his hat askew. He held the bridle of a horse- with closer examination Lefou came to the conclusion the horse belonged to his uncle. 

"I am sorry to bother you, Lefou, but.. I was going out to the city to buy Belle some fabric for her wedding and I- I found your uncle's horse wandering in the forest."The old man sighed, handing the ropes over to the younger man." I know you and your aunt have just stopped grieving," Lefou had, Foufou had not," but I still did want to return his horse to its rightful owners."

Lefou nodded as he held on to the horse."Thank you.. have a safe journey into the city."He forced a smile and led his horse to the trough. He softly ran his fingers through it's mane, wondering if maybe confirming his uncle was dead would bring his aunt back to her senses. 

Determined, he hopped onto his horses saddle immediately, pulling on his bridle towards the home of Belle and Adam. They hadn't been married yet, but their wedding was close enough to the point it wasn't a promiscuous idea for them to live together. 

He quickly knocked on their door and explained to a very confused Belle his situation."Please, just watch over my aunt. All she needs to know is that I'll be back and whatever you do, do not mention my uncle's disappearance to her."

With that, Lefou made his way into the woods. His horse leading the way to wherever it had taken his dear uncle.

The forest opened up to a large clearing. Snow clung on to the dead grass. The air felt heavy and bitterly cold. The crunch underneath the horse's hooves was the only sound Lefou could hear. It was odd- snow in the middle of summer?

The deafening silence was awkward and Lefou prayed something would break it. Something would break the uneasiness the quiet had left with him. 

His breath was caught in his throat as his ears quickly picked up on a distant howling. Without hesitation, he pulled on the horse's reigns and urged him to go faster. They raced past a broken cart Lefou noticed had belonged to his uncle and into a stone paved road.  
It opened up to a grand courtyard, snow twinkling down- so gray and dark if the cold air didn't hang still, Lefou might've mistaken it for ash.

He trotted ahead, examining the odd structures around the castle until he came upon a rose garden. It was the only thing he had noticed that retained any life. Strange, considering the fact it was snowing and must've been for quite awhile for it pile up on the ground like it had.

Lefou was hardly observant and was taken back when he finally noticed the humongous castle at the end of the courtyard. He found a trough full of water and let his horse rest as he carefully climbed the staircase to the door. It towered above him and seemed to stare him down; he had the odd feeling that he was being watched.

He pushed open the door, wondering if he should've knocked before entering but realized it was too late for that. He was inside. 

The inside was dark. Scary even, but Lefou would never admit that. He scanned the room to see if anyone had noticed he had stepped in until he found a lit candlestick. He grabbed it and held it up to the darker parts of the castle he could hardly make out. There was a soft pattering and something he thought was chattering, but he still couldn't see anyone.  
The quiet tick of a clock led him down a hallway, he followed it into a room with a spiraling staircase that led up towards something that looked like a cell.

Lying on the floor was a clock, along with what appeared to be a hunched over man in a cell.

Lefou quietly tapped on the cell's bars, eyes narrowing to make out who- or what- could be trapped in there.  
"Hm?"the figure croaked. He turned towards Lefou, his eyes widened and he quickly hopped to his feet and grabbed Lefou's free hand."Lefou!"

"Uncle? What are you doing in there?"

"Y-you must leave. The beast will come and he will lock you up too."He nervously patted his nephew's hand and urged him away."Go home and tell Foufou I am dead. You must go home and never return- please run, hurr-"

Lefou's uncle was cut short by a growl that only grew louder as time edged on. Loud thumps echoed throughout the dark room. Claws scrapping against the stone stairs. 

The man gripped onto the candlestick, prepared to attack with it if necessary.

"What are you doing here?"the monster growled. The candlestick illuminated enough to let Lefou know this was not a person."Who are you?" His questions were more like insults than anything and he could hear the hatred seeping out of his words and imagine the frown his lips formed. 

Lefou swallowed."I've come for my uncle. Me and his wife have been nothing but worried for him and it'd be best if you let him go. Or-- or else."

The monster laughed. He edged forward and leaned against the wall."I am the master of this castle. Who are you to tell me anything-- and, I won't ever let your pathetic uncle go. He should've known better than to trespass into my castle."

"Please," Lefou pleaded."There must be s-something I can do!"He thought for a moment, looking back between the beast and his uncle."I'll..,"he cleared his throat."I will take his place. Release him and I'll stay here.."

The monster remained still, as if he was contemplating whether to take the offer or not. He scoffed. Lefou could make out what appeared to be a sneer-- made out of sharp teeth."Fine. But, you must promise to remain here forever."

Lefou's hands shook, his brain was screaming at him to decline the deal altogether and save himself. But, he'd known better. Being in the war had taught him one thing, when you're there in the midst of battle, your comrades and family are the only things that matter. But, he needed to know what exactly he was up against if he had to fight and escape. His voice wavering, he said,"come into the light."

The monster hesitated before stepping into the candlelight. His body was covered in hair-- the body of a bear and the face resembling a bison. 

Lefou recoiled and gripped onto the bars of the cell to keep steady. His uncle grabbed at his nephew's bow, hands shaking.

"Lefou, please.. just go.. Foufou needs you."

Lefou took in a shaky breathe and held his uncle's hand for a moment before letting go."Take care of her,"he smiled."I promise. You have my word."

His uncle screamed. Lefou couldn't bring himself to stare as his uncle was dragged away, but he could sense the tears rolling down his uncle's cheeks as he yelled until his throat was raw. 

He didn't even notice he was crying until he was left along, with a clock and candlestick.


	2. The Intention to Cut His Visit Short

It seemed like hours until the beast returned. But, in reality it has hardly been five minutes. 

He sat in the cell for a moment, eyes red and puffy from the tears he had let slip out of his eyes. He didn't know what to say or what to do. What does a trapped prisoner do? 

"Follow me, I'll show you to your room,"the beast said, in a tone Lefou didn't know the monster was capable of.

He was puzzled. He stared up at the monster, unsure if he was joking or not."But- I thought I was here as your prison-"

"Do you want to sleep here on the floor or not?"he hisses, fangs barred. He took in a breath and regained his composure."Look, you're going to be here awhile and I just want to make sure you're.. comfortable."

Lefou nodded, brows furrowed as he pulled himself off the ground and followed the other back down stairs only to climb up another staircase- but this one was carpeted and laced with fabric that resembled gold.  
He ran his fingers along the walls. They were cold, yet the pictures that were carved into them looked expensive and like something you shouldn't touch. He pulled his hand away as the beast spoke:

"I hope you like it here."

"Oh. Yeah."Lefou was seriously confused. Why did this guy basically separate him from his family, ruin his life suddenly act as if he wanted to be pals. Pals don't lock up each other's family members and then offer them a room. 

The beast stopped at a doorway glittered with gold and painted a pure white. He pushed it open with his paw and motioned for Lefou to step inside.

"No one has slept here for years, so I'll send up my..,"he paused,"maids to dust everything for you tomorrow morning. Get cozy, I know you've had a long night and I'll have my servants prepare dinner for us."

The candlestick wiggled in the beast's hands, as if it was both excited and relieved. 

But, Lefou knew better than to let his guard down here. He stepped into the room and as the door was halfway closed, he yelled,"I will not be joining you for dinner. How-- no-- WHY would you expect me to want to enjoy a meal with you when you've taken my uncle, then ME?"Fly hairs fell out of it's neat pony tail. He grabbed the bow holding his hair up and ripped it off, his hair falling down around his face."How inconsiderate and rude are you? You have the audacity to ask me to dinner after this horrible night?"

The beast's nose wrinkled in disgust."If you won't eat with me,"he snarled,"Then STARVE!"He slammed the door, leaving Lefou alone and wondering why he heard other voices yelling down the hallway after the beast.

He ripped off the bow around his neck, pulling off his vest and carefully placed it on the nearby dresser. He rain his shaking fingers through his hair and glanced up when he saw slight movement. 

The dresser was moving.  
"Ah! Hello! It's been ages since I've seen anyone!"  
And talk.  
The dresser waddled side to side, going on and on about how she missed the thrill of meeting and befriending strangers.  
"I heard your fight with the master and-- oh that was a big mistake of you." She tsked and opened up her doors."If you hurry now, you can get dressed and apologize to him!"

Lefou scoffed."Apologize to him? Are you crazy?" Of course he was freaked out by the talking furniture, but enchanted household objects seemed more plausible than an actual beast living just outside his town. 

"Am I the one speaking to talking furniture?"She laughed."I'm only joking! Please understand that the master means well and I'm sure you're absolutely famished."

"No. I'm not."His stomach growled and the dresser giggled."What? It's almost six in the morning and I've lost more than I ever have in my entire life."He hugged his knees to his chest, curling up into a ball in his bed. 

The door opened slowly, a tray slowly making its way inside. The wheels squeaked and Lefou didn't bother rolling over to figure out what was in his room.

"Sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard everything you said.. And, sir, I admit it is rather rude of the master to throw himself onto you so fast but it'd be best if you do apologize to him."Lefou rolled over to discover a teapot and a small teacup were curiously looking up at him.

The teapot smiled."I'm Mrs. Potts, this is my son, chip."Her presence was enough to coax Lefou to the edge of the bed.

He couldn't help but offer the other a warm smile."I'm Lefou and I'm sorry, but.."He hopped off the bed and began to grab some fabric from off his bed, testing if it'd tear easily."I'm getting out of here."

Mrs. Pott's stared up at Lefou, wide and teary eyed. But, it wasn't her who spoke next, it was her son. 

"Please, Monsieur, stay at least one night and in the morning we'll let you leave and turn the other eye,"the small teacup pleaded."Here! Mother, can I show him the thing?"

"'May I show him the thing',"she corrected."And, of course you can." Suddenly the teapot began to pour what seemed to be hot tea into the cup.

The teacup then hopped to the edge of the tray and blew up what seemed to be his cheeks, making bubbles form and foam out of the sides."If you stay, I'll be sure to learn more tricks to entertain you with!"he cheered."You haven't even met Lumiere or Plumette! You must stay and meet the rest of the staff.."

Lefou was absolutely horrified of the display in front of him, but realized it'd be better if he knew what he was up against if he needed to fight against anyone on the way out."Fine. I'll stay here for one night then I'm gone. Is that clear?"

The teaset nodded and rolled out of the room on the tray, leading the way as Lefou followed closely behind.

She led him to a wide room. One long table was set in the middle. The silverware seemed as if it were made out of real silver. Lefou wondered if the spoons and forks were also enchanted, but would rather not find out and end up eating off of someone. 

Mrs. Potts led him to a chair at the far end of the room, hopping off the tray along with Chip.

"This is the dining room!"she chirped. 

"I can tell."

"These are the plates!"

"I see that."

Lefou raised his eyebrow inquisitively, noticing something off about the way his current host explained everything. It was as if she was stalling for something until dozens of silver platters burst out of the door he had come through. Unique smells hit Lefou's nose, causing his stomach to rumble and for him to collapse into his chair as he braced onto the arms.

The candlestick from earlier slid on his knees in front of him, grinning wildly. Could candlesticks grin?

"Bonjour, and welcome to your dinner!"he laughed and spun until he was standing up again."I am Lumiere and I will be hosting your dinner this evening."

"It's almost seven in the morning and I thought your master had said if I don't eat with him, I'll starve."Lefou remained skeptical, unnerved by the moving tableware and wanting to eat something as soon as possible. He held off on the food because he had to be sure these 'servants' were truly on his side.

"Yes! But rules were made for breaking!"Lumiere pointing his candle towards the clock from earlier who seemed to want to shrink and disappear entirely from the setting."Besides, if the master finds out, we'll just blame Cogsworth, aye?" The comment earned a collection of laughter from the entire room. "We just ask that you be our guest. A servant isn't at home if he's not truly serving." He gave Lefou the same pleading eyes Chip had given him. 

"A-alright. But, please keep it down. I don't want your master coming down here and ripping me another one."

Lumiere clapped his 'hands' together and thus began the show. 

Lefou ate things he'd never even heard of before. His belly easily became full and his eyes heavy as the silverware put on a small musical number, even after he had warned them about waking their master. He didn't really care anymore, the whole night was enchanting along with the tour that came after it. 

~~~

"You can go where ever you like!"Cogsworth extended his two handles as if they were arms.

Lumiere grinned."Just not the West Wing."

Cogsworth snapped his head towards the candlestick, eyes narrowed and the hands of his clock twitching."Why would you even tell him about that?"he threw his arms up in exasperation.

Lefou laughed."What's in the West wing?"

"Nothing,"Lumiere added quickly, kicking his feet back and forth and holding his candles behind his back.

"Absolutely nothing,"Cogsworth nodded, obviously nervous. 

Lefou shrugged and turned towards the west wing."I guess I'll just have to see this 'nothing' for myself, if you two aren't going to tell me!"

"But- but sir! We have a library!"

"Yes! A huge library."

Lefou stopped, spinning on his heel and acting as if he was in disbelief."How big?"  
He hoped his fake excitement was believable. But, part of him wanted to take a detour there on his way out of the castle and take a few books back home for his aunt.  
So, he took note to do just that after he checked out the west wing.

"Super big! It has uh-- books and even bigger books! C'mon, follow us, Monsieur!"With that, Cogsworth and Lumiere waddled down the hallway to what Lefou assumed was where the library was. Slowly, he backed away towards the west wing. The silent tapping of the furniture faded the farther he made it to the forbidden wing. 

The walls reeked of must and what he assumed to be mold. The walls that Lefou could tell were as rich and shiny as the rest of the castle he'd seen were now dirtied with what looked like rust. He swallowed hard as he pressed deeper down the hall, glancing at the torn paintings that seemed to be family portraits.

Two parents and a young boy with black hair and blue eyes. 

Did the beast kill the family that lives here? He thought, fingers balling into fists. He supposed it'd been years since the family had been dead, considering how much decay and animal carcasses that were scattered around the corners of the corridor.

At the end of the hall, there was a door. It looked similar to Lefou's room. Maybe a bit more royal and elegant if it had been taken care of.

He ran his fingers along the doorknob, pulling it open slowly. The inside was ten times worse than the hall. 

His legs wavered as he took a few steps inside the room. The curtains covering the tall windows were shredded to pieces. On the far corner of the room was a torn panting of a man with a chiseled jaw and a cleft in his chin. The same eyes of the boy from the other painting stared back at him. His black hair was slicked back into a pony tail and he wore a velvet red coat with gold trim. 

He gently touched the shredded painting, wondering if the man in the painting would've been nicer to Lefou- shown him hospitality and then they'd eventually become best friends. Perhaps even something similar to lovers. 

What a dumb idea, he didn't even know this man and yet he was already developing a crush on him on looks alone. How shallow.

He ventured further into the room. Farther down the room he discovered a balcony, it's doors thrown open. 

In the center of the patio stood a short pedestal. On top was a glass encasing a rose that seemed to be floating inside. 

Lefou moved towards the flower with persistence and curiosity. Something told him to reach forward and touch the glass case.

His fingers brushed the glass when his ears picked up on a hissing sound coming up from behind him. He turned suddenly, falling backwards and almost pushing the rose off the pedestal. 

It was the beast, his lips curled into a snarl while his teeth clenched. He bared his claws and stomped closer to Lefou.  
"Did you touch it?"he yelled, shoving Lefou away and adjusting the case. 

Lefou stayed silent, fear had taken ahold of his tongue.

The beast lunged forward, growling and hissing Lefou into a corner."Did you touch it?"he asked once more.

"N-no.. not exactly bu-but."

"Get out of here."

"I'm sorry-- it's just a rose. Honestly, you could go outside and get another one."Lefou laughed softly, trying to uplift the dim mood and failed completely.

"Get out of here!"the beast reared, jaws snapping shut as he saw the terrified look on Lefou's face as the smaller man shimmied out of the corner he was pinned into. Then, he darted down the hallway and to the front door, fumbling with the doorknob that didn't seem to want to nudge. Tears brimmed his eyes as he eventually gave up and curled up against the door. 

With his sleeve, he wiped his nose and eyes, sniffling softly.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he woke up from a sleep he didn't know he had fallen into. 

A cold wind sent shivers down his back. The door behind him has opened while he had slept. He smoothed down his hair and quickly ran outside, ignoring the chills that increased the more time he spent outside without his coat (which he had left in the bedroom). 

He hopped onto his horse and ran. Together, they ran back into the woods Lefou had previously been. 

Just as he made it to the clearing between the warm summer air and the winter wonderland he was escaping from, his horse whined and kicked as wolves hopped out of the bushes. He yanked on the reigns, trying to steady his hands and horse. He thought back to his time fighting. The metallic smell and taste of blood as adrenaline pumped throughout your veins.

The horse flung Lefou off his back, leaving him alone in the snow.. Surrounded by wolves. His hands scrambled around, looking for something to protect himself with. A branch.

He waved up the stick quickly, swinging it around and watching as the largest wolf edged closer. They were closing in when a flash of brown fur and muscle collapsed against them. 

Lefou would've laughed at how odd the whole ordeal was-- a magical, talking beast protecting him from a pack of wolves while it snowed in the middle of June. 

The beast eventually fought them off, but he collapsed to ground.

Lefou huffed, wiping away the sweat on his brow and rubbing his hands together. He used his arms to sit the monster up and get a good look at him. He had a ton a hair-- he was something his aunt would warn him about to keep Lefou out of the woods. He put his fingers up to his mouth and whistled for his horse to return then gingerly hoisted the beast onto the other 'beast'. 

Lefou led his horse back to the castle, steadying the animal laying down with his hand. Of course he was scared, but absolutely excited as well.

That was the excitement he had always wanted. This was the being that he always wanted to boast about. Someone who's angry, brash, and saves people for no reason. 

He stopped for a second, glancing at the beast. 

Why had he saved him in the first place; why did Lefou suddenly want to help the beast who'd just saved him? 

He shrugged and continued on, shoving the questions he had to the back of his mind for another time. He was confused and tired. His back ached and he looked forward to returning to the castle and getting another cup of tea from Mrs. Potts. Maybe he'd even take care of the beast and nurse him back to health.

Then, he'd definitely leave. Totally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeze I wrote most of this at 1 am and I suck at everything so xD


	3. The Beast Has a Name

The beast's eyes fluttered open. He blinked quickly, instinctively trying to sit up but was pressed back down against the blankets by a calloused but gentle hand. He rolled his eyes as he made out who was currently tending to him. His prisoner. It dawned on him that he was currently lying on his bed with Lefou by his side.

He slowly remembered the previous nights events. Why the hell did fights wolves for this random guy that almost doomed him forever. He half hoped that a pretty girl would have found him and out of the goodness of her heart, she'd care for him and nurse him to health. With a sigh, he supposed a short and chubby man would have to do. 

Maybe it was because he wanted to see what else this man would do next. He hadn't spoken to a person that wasn't his servants in years. The thrill of meeting and befriending someone new was something he missed.

He doubted he genuinely cared for Lefou. He was just lonely. But deep down he knew he was lying to himself. He did enjoy the company and especially how gently the man took care of him. 

The beast remained still as Lefou carefully dabbed at his cuts, making him hiss in protest. He gingerly rolled over, which made his current caretaker huff and pull him back to his pervious position. 

"Stop acting like a child. You're lucky I didn't leave you out there to die."

"If it weren't for me, you'd already be dead,"he retorted, sinking into his pillow and pouting like a child."Besides, you don't deserve to be able to touch and care for me."

With that, the other man rubbed a scratch harshly with his towel, earning himself a howl in pain. Lefou stood up and threw the fabric onto the floor. 

"How rude can you be?"he threw his hands up and looked as if he were genuinely done with the other's sour and shitty attitude."Not one 'thank you for bringing my ass home and not leaving me outside to freeze to death and eventually be devoured by dogs'."

"I would've been fine. A few puppies aren't anything to me. Unlike you, I could obviously survive an attack from them."

"No. You wouldn't have. Just- shut up. I'm starting to regret saving you."He frowned and gripped the towel he had thrown in his hand. He twisted it into a hard wad.

"What're you doing? You're not nearly strong enough to choke me and that cloth would hardly fit around my wrist--"

Lefou continued to wring the towel, taking in sharp breaths and eventually loosened his grip around the cloth."Is never do that. Unlike you, I don't doubt the goodness in people or suspect they'll murder me with whatever they can find."He sighed."But trust me, I can see why someone would want to murder you,"he whispered, turning on his heel to grab another towel and dip it into water. 

The beast rolled his eyes, ignoring the embarrassment that he'd been told off. He didn't want to be left alone,so he shrugged and accepted the fact it'd be better if he at least attempted to be friendly."You're right."

The short brunette paused."I am?"

"Yes. Sorry."He swallowed and gazed down at his claws."Thank you for bringing me back to my castle."

Lefou slowly turned towards the beast, smiling softly."See, that wasn't hard at all. Thank you for saving me from the wolves, Monsieur Beast." 

The creature flinched whenever Lefou finished his sentence. He didn't realize he hadn't told Lefou his name, but part of him didn't want to. His name was hardly important and it'd be best for him to remain a beast. A hairy devil that resides in a castle. His ego enjoyed the idea of being feared, but he knew this constant isolation wouldn't be good for him.  
It had already made his social skills practically nonexistent and his attitude sour. 

He decided he'd not tell his prisoner his name. It even took him a moment to remember it himself. It was Gaston. But, he concluded, even if it had been a long time since anyone besides his servants had said it; it wasn't like hearing Lefou say it would make years of being alone and denied the luxury of being called by his name suddenly disappear.

"Is everything ok?"Lefou inquired, snapping the beast out of his trance. 

He nodded slowly, sitting up ignoring the look of annoyance on the smaller man's face. 

"You should be lying down. You literally fought off a pack of wolves and you think you're ready to get up and walk around?"

In an act of defiance, the wounded animal hopped out of his bed. Pain shivered throughout his body as his hind legs ached with soreness from the various cuts on them. But, he tried his best not to look weak in front of Lefou, so he kept his cool and stretched out his legs that screamed with protest.  
"See, I'm fine."  
He fell backwards onto the bed as his legs gave in and buckled. Lefou let out a quiet gasp and a quiet chuckle.

"Yeah."He adjusted the beat's body to where he could continue tending to him."Definitely."

Gaston sulked as Lefou wrapped his scratches with gauze and eventually tucked him into his bed. 

"I'm not a child."He pulled the blanket off of himself, quickly putting it back on once he caught a glimpse of the anger seeping out of the short man.

"Well stop acting like one. You act as if it's shameful to get hurt-- it only means you're human."He rolled his eyes."But I guess you wouldn't know about that, hm?"Lefou gathered together a few pieces of wood scattered around the room and threw them into the fireplace."Your servants are downstairs making you something to eat. They left me to tend to you- going on about what 'bonding time' this would be." 

Lefou left, pushing open the door and tried his best not to look back. The creature had made it clear. He wanted nothing to do with him. 

Gaston watched as the door closed and listened intently to the other's footsteps as he traveled down the hallway. 

He stretched his arms out, testing to see if they were as sore as his legs were. He winced as he felt the tear of flesh and the shifting of a bandage on his right wrist. He cautiously adjusted the gauze and fell back to his bed, defeated. He hated this feeling of being weak. It was part of the reason why he even became a beast in the first place-- oh yeah. He never explained to Lefou why he'd gotten so upset at him about the flower. 

"Whatever,"he sighed."Not like it'd matter."Gaston knew better than to place his hopes that the person he'd separated from his family would ever develop feelings besides hate and contempt for him. He'd accepted his fate. He was destined to remain a beast forever. 

~~~~

Lefou glanced back as he hoped he'd be met with the crystal blue eyes of the beast. 

He was disappointed.

With a sigh (he noticed he had been sighing a lot more lately) he pulled himself back to the bedroom he had been given. It was the only place he knew he'd be alone-- besides that dresser, but he doubted she would say anything unless spoken to.

 

There had been a time when Lefou lived with his parents. 

They were as short and as stout as he was and held their son to extremely high standards. They expected him to come home one day, a wife fawning over him. Since Lefou was the only child his mother was able to bear, they expected him to grant them at least eight grandchildren. 

They were farming folk so huge families were practically a necessity. Lefou was their only kid which led to him having to do all the chores on the farm. 

It wasn't all that bad. He enjoyed tending to the few animals his family was able to keep and led to him being able to keep a dog. 

Everything changed once the plague had torn throughout France, again. 

This outbreak hadn't taken as much as it had previously, but his family had been unlucky. It was 1720, France was thriving. The nation was benefiting from the downfall of Spain and its abundance of farming goods. 

What would the disappearance of one family benefiting from subsistence farming do to the rest of the nation?

Nothing. The casualties weren't enormous and hadn't made a difference in France's already huge population.

The only difference it made was that it had wiped out all of Lefou's immediate family. His mother forced him to leave with his aunt to a small village on the outskirts of town. 

Villeneuve. 

There he met other personalities.

Tom. Dick. Stanley.  
Stanley was his real first crush. Part of him knew Stan had like him too, but it was short lived as soon as Lefou noticed how much closer Stanley and his friend Dick had gotten. Even now he laughs at how ironic their names are. 

Stanley loves Dick- or, respectively, Richard.

 

Lefou's head slowly lifted from the pillow and rolled onto his back. 

"Madame dresser?"he called.

"Please, call me Madame de Garderobe!"she sung."Sorry- yes, Monsieur?"

"Do you have a basin lying around anywhere? Preferably not enchanted?"He slid off the bed and slid off his stockings."I'd like to sponge myself off quickly.."He paused."Unless there's a bathhouse somewhere nearby."

The wardrobe laughed, her doors swinging open slightly."Of course! But- um. I find that I do not have the ability to provide you with one. Go downstairs and ask Lumiere if he would give you one, I apologize again.."

"Don't apologize. You don't have a reason to."He looked around for his shoes and slipped them on, regretting that he'd taken off his stockings but relieved to be out of the torn socks.

It didn't take him long to find Lumiere. He asked for a bowl and a bit of water then returned to his room. 

He removed his clothes and quickly rubbed himself down. He made sure to wash the sweat from his hair and the check if he had gotten hurt at all from either the beast or wolves. Luckily, he had gotten away from the wolves with only a small bruise (from his horse) but he seemed to have been led back to the beast. 

This is your moment to run, he thought, staring down at his reflection in the water in the bowl.

He dropped the sponge into the basin and stood up from his squatting position.  
"Madame de Garderobe!"

"Mhm?"she hummed.

"Do you have anything I can wear?"Lefou asked as he walked towards Garderobe, playing with his wet hair.

"Oh!"she cooed."I thought you'd never ask!"Her doors flew open and out sprung an unimaginable amount of outfits. Along with a surprising number of moths but Lefou swatted the bugs away. 

He scratched his stomach sheepishly, unsure what to say or how to react to the vast amount of outfits thrown out at him."So much to chose.. What do you think I should wear?"

"Well- I think that this would look the best on you. The colors complement your skin tone and the collar really does empathize your face shape,"she rambled on, but Lefou was still intrigued at how much the wardrobe had paid attention to him. He has simply asked for an outfit she liked best and here she goes, explaining why she chose it and how nice it would look on Lefou. He enjoyed it thoroughly and felt sad whenever she stopped.

He grabbed the outfit she had finished explaining and quickly pulled it on. 

The tan coat hugged his figure nicely and his trousers weren't as tight as he thought they would be. To finish it off, he tied his red bow around his neck and his hair up in a low ponytail. 

"You clean up extremely well, Monsieur!"

"Thank you,"he gushed, smiling as he opened the door of his bedroom to only be met with the startlingly blue eyes he had only just begun to forget about.

The beast loomed over him, paw extended outwards and above Lefou. It was as if he were just about to know on his door. 

"Hello,"he awkwardly added, shuffling backwards."I came to invite you to my library."

"What makes you think I'd want to go to the library."Lefou rolled his eyes and turned back into his room. His hand started to push the door close, only to be stopped by a large paw.

The beast gently pushed the door back open, obviously holding back hisses of pain.

Lefou immediately went to his side, though he doubted he'd be able to carry the other back to their bed."Why aren't you laying down? It's really stupid of you to think you'd be able to walk in your condition."

"I had a cane."

"Do I really want to ask what happened to it?"

"It snapped in half."

Lefou took in a sharp breath and forced himself to lead the beast to his own bed."Now stay here. Don't move or else I'll leave you here alone."

"You honestly think that would scare me? I've been alone here for YEARS!"he laughed, bringing his paw up to Lefou's face."Trust me. The worst thing you could do is become my friend and then leave me for someone else but who'd ever want to leave me?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask all the friends you have?"

With that, the beast shut his mouth and began to pout. He pulled his paw away from Lefou's face and returned it to his stomach. He then sat up and ran his claws through his mane.

"If you're so restless, why don't you use your free time doing something simple and easy? Perhaps something you can do from bed."Lefou smoothed the edge of his blankets with his fingers, smiling slightly.

"I suggested we go to my library but I guess not."

"Tell me something you'd like to read. I'll get it and bring it back here."

"Well.. I don't really know much about any books,"he said, embarrassment thick in his tone."What do you recommend?"

"I'm not one for books either, but my aunt, Foufou, who you know-- you took me from, liked it when I read her Shakespeare's plays. I recently bought her Macbeth."

"Macbeth.. What's it about?"

"Well, if I told you it'd ruin the story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't beta this chapter so I'm sure there are a ton of mistakes but IM HAVING FUN WRITING SO!!!
> 
> This is the most fun writing I've written my gross anime Fics


	4. I Believe the Wrong Monster's Released

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok there's a part in this that's totally based off the copypasta "In beauty and the beast, Gaston says he eats 5 dozen eggs every morning. 60 a day. That's 21,900 a year. How does Gaston afford all those eggs? They're very expensive, as the lady says in 'Belle'. So just how loaded is Gaston? And if he's so rich, why does he live in the tiny village? Shouldn't he have his own castle? Or does he not have a castle because he spends all his money on eggs?" 
> 
> I've never thought I'd ever use a MEME as canon in my fic but take it and Accept it please

The rest of the day had been uneventful. The two lazily lounged around the room.

Lefou wouldn't let beast do much at all. Each time Beast attempted to sit up and suggested they do something, he would press him back to the bed and tiredly open up Macbeth to start another scene.

They had gone through the first act and almost finished act two. Although Lefou was getting bored with reading Shakespeare aloud, he noticed how intrigued Beast seemed to be.

He wondered if it was because how hard he tried to make his voices for each character different and distinguishable and the play sound somewhat enjoyable.

He closed the book, keeping his finger on the page he left off on."You know, Shakespeare is better read by actors on a stage. These plays were originally acted in the Globe theatre."

"You can't act?"

"I've never tried and I'd rather not make a fool of myself and try to."Lefou rubbed his neck gently."I've seen a few plays. Most were tragic, but occasionally there'll be a comedy."

"Hm, I think me and my parents went to a play together when I was younger."

"You had parents?"Lefou asked, realizing how dumb he sounded and quickly added,"I mean, of course you had parents, but I don't seem how you'd be able to you know-- be able to go to a theatre as an animal."

"You don't believe I've always been a beast? Honestly?" He sat up, with a dumbfounded expression.

"Well?"Lefou shrugged, fidgeting with the book in his hands.

The beast scoffed."I'm cursed. Everyone in this castle is cursed."He stood up from the bed."We all are humans. Enchanted to take these forms."

Lefou carefully stood by his side, putting a hand onto his back incase he felt unsteady and fell.

He gently pushed Lefou away.

"Beast."

"Leave me alone, please,"he said in a low tone.

"I'm sorry? I assumed you'd always been a beast I mean? You haven't told me anything this whole time about you or a simple explanation for anything that's happened or is happening."

He shoved Lefou back, face inches from his." _Leave me alone_. You don't need to know what's happening. Just know that I'm cursed and I doubt there's anything you can do about it- and that you should care."

"I don't care, but I'm interested and want to know. Besides, if I'm stuck here forever, I deserve to know what you did to turn you into this monster,"he spat out.

"Monster? That suits me, I suppose."He stroked his chin as if he had a beard."What I did doesn't matter. It's done and I'd rather not think about it."

"I still deserve to know what you did."Lefou's gaze didn't waver and he tried his best to keep his voice steady."If you don't, I'll ask someone else. It'd be best if you tell me now."

 

Gaston admitted he lived a luxurious life. Women draped upon his arms, men either wanted to be him or wanted him. 

His long dark hair pulled back with a red bow. His long legs crossed as his hand was propped under his chin. After his parent's death, he inherited their wealth. Topped with his pension from fighting in the war, he was what people would consider 'well off'.

He hadn't always lived like this though- before he lived in a grand castle, he was raised in a small town. A cottage besides a lake where he would hunt as soon as the season began. 

He had spent so much money on eggs, he hardly had enough to pay for other expenses like his clothing and food that would actually do him good (he also realized living off raw eggs really wasn't healthy nor truly living).

He cut eggs out of his budget completely and instead dedicated his money to buying a castle he could lounge and entertain himself in.

Gaston was a dick. Yes, after countless lonely nights in his bedroom, he realized how much of an asshole he really was. All this time to reflect on himself and he still didn't want to fix his flaw, but he did acknowledge it. Besides, ladies flocked to him because how much of an ass he was. They all wanted to break his shell and show him he is capable of loving someone besides himself. A few even convinced him that they would be able to satisfy him as his wife, but he knew better than to trust a beautiful blonde with dazzlingly green eyes and a petite frame.

He'd never really taken a look at many men, but it wasn't like they also weren't throwing themselves at him, just not as frequently or vigorously. 

With his chin high and his grin dazzling the crowd, he'd turned each one down. That was until he was cursed. He remembered the night well. Legs kicked out onto a chair, head leaning onto a pillow as he gazed up at his many antlers mounted on his walls.

The fireplace was warm but deep down everyone knew Gaston was cold. His cold eyes and heart drew a certain enchantress into his home. She showed no pity as she placed her curse on him. 

She didn't even bother testing him. The cockiness on his face as he spat at her, going on about how privileged he was to let her be in his presence and how much he flaunted his prominent cheekbones and jawline.

The enchantress left Gaston, disheveled and confused. She left him with a simple rose, explaining that when the last petal falls he will remain the disgusting animal he is.

"You will now be as beast-like on the outside as you are inside."She turned, her white gown fluttering into a million white moths."To break the curse, you must learn to love and be loved back. I doubt anyone would ever love you." She remained still, head turned and body slowly evaporating.

"Why do you say that?"he croaked as he examined his new form.

"Who would ever love someone who's nothing more than a pig covered in fur."

With that, she was gone. Alone, confused, and fearful, Gaston hoisted himself up. He caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby mirror and could do nothing else but yell.

 

"Wow."Lefou blinked."She's right."

"You don't think I don't already know?"

Lefou bit the inside of his cheek."You're not gonna make anyone fall in love with you when you're stuck in here. What the hell am I saying. I've been here for less than a day and all I want to do is get away from here."

"Then why didn't you leave?"His blue eyes catching Lefou's.

"I don't know. It didn't feel right."

"You said it yourself. You want to leave- but you didn't. Your actions contradict what you're saying."His eyebrows furrowed as he shifted his weight onto his right leg and crossed his arms.

"What about you? You're nothing but a huge ball of contradictions! You want to be left alone but you won't leave me alone."He balled his hands into fists."You do nothing-- do you seriously have no hope? None at all that you'd break the curse?"

His blue eyes fell to the floor."I don't deserve to be freed of my curse,"he snapped.

"You probably don't, but at least try for everyone else."Lefou hesitantly extended his arm until his hand softly held onto the animal's arm."This sad and pitiful mood you have is not gonna attract anyone. Cheer up."

"Wow! My sadness is gone! Just like that-- I truly am happier after you've told me I don't deserve someone to love,"he hissed. 

Lefou gazed up intently."Do you think you deserve to be loved?"

Gaston swallowed, his eyes kept on the ground. He thought for a moment then his head dropped."No."

Pity ate at Lefou's gut. He did feel sorry for this man who was hardly a shell of what he seemed to be.  
When he looked at the beast, all he saw was a lonely person he wanted to help. Even if he didn't want to help himself. 

"I won't let you think like that. We all don't deserve things we need or want, but you've got to think a tad bit better of yourself."He perked up and lifted Gaston's head by his chin."My aunt always told me the best way to charm a person was with a smile!"  
He grabbed the sides of the beast's mouth and turned them up forcibly. He held back a gag, forcing his own smile."Do you not brush your teeth?"

"I've been an animal for I don't even know how long."

"So? No." Lefou rolled his eyes and called for Lumiere and the rest of the servants.

He quickly explained his plan: make the Beast look somewhat suitable and then reteach him proper etiquette and manners.

~~~~

They began with something easy- since Gaston was still weak, but surely running out of time.

Eating was the first thing Lefou thought of. He didn't know much about proper table etiquette himself, but his aunt had made sure he knew the correct angle to sit at and how far his plate could be from him to prevent food falling on the table cloth. 

"First, take your elbows off the table."He poked at Gaston's hairy arms. The other complied with a roll of his eyes. 

"Okay. Look, even when I was human, I didn't follow any of these rules."

Lefou scoffed."It's different now. You don't have looks, charm, or even a likable personality."

"You must like me somewhat if you're willing to help me."He grinned, quickly closing his mouth."Sorry. I'm just used to my smile you know.. Sparkling and all."

"It's alright. We'll make sure to work on that next."Lefou gave his friend a soft pat on the hand.

A moment later, Mrs. Pott's and a few others rolled in with a platter of food. Lefou grabbed the place and extended his hand for the teapot to hop onto. 

She smiled up on him then softly whispered,"Thank you for doing this. The master really does need someone to help him get back into the gist of things." She hopped onto the table besides Gaston. 

Lefou placed the platter of food besides the beast while a few forks, spoons, and knives waddled over to the plate. Served was a small fish, a bowl of soup and broccoli.

"These are the utensils I'll be teaching you to use."He motioned to the three forks."There's the dinner fork, fish fork, and salad fork. You place them according to the order you will use them. The dinner fork should be kept on the left side of your plate. Their names are pretty self explanatory, really."Then the single spoon."This is used to either eat soup or fruit. The soup is usually an appetizer so you place it closer to your soup bowl. Fruit is dessert, so you'd place it farther away from the plate."

"I know what you use spoons for, Lefou."Gaston took the largest fork and began to prod at his fish. Lefou slapped the utensil out of his hand, snatched it up and pointing it at the animal.

"That is the dinner fork,"he hissed. He then picked up the smaller fork laid besides the fork previously picked up then shoved it into Gaston's paw."Use this one."

"This is stupid,"he spat, throwing the fork onto the table.

"Do you want to break your curse!?"

"Yes,"he responded flatly.

Lefou let out a deep breath and gently placed the fork back into his paw, closing his fingers softly and forcing a smile."Then use the right fucking fork."

Gaston held the fork in his hand and obediently took a piece of the fish off. He picked up what he remembered to be the fish knife and successfully ate a piece of fish. The clink of metal against his teeth was uncomfortable but made him feel human, even if he wasn't anymore.

"Good job."Lefou squeezed the other's arm.

Mrs. Pott's laughed softly."Yes, good job, master. At this rate, the next girl who walks through our gates would surely fall in love with you!"

The idea that someone besides Lefou would be able to see these small feats that he himself helped Gaston learn felt gross. He didn't really think that eventually he'd have to leave him with someone else and return to his village, with his family and only the memory of this castle and Gaston. 

"Thank you, both of you."The beast nudged Lefou's shoulder, his lips curling up into a slight smile."You think we could probably get through these lessons sooner?"

With a blank look he nodded."Yeah! Of course."He ran a hand through his hair and removed his coat."Next I guess I could help improve your social skills."

"No need!"Gaston continued to eat with the utensils."I'm perfectly good at conversing with people."

"Boasting about yourself isn't going to get you a wife."

"Well, it kept you here didn't it?"

Lefou's eyes went wide."What? Phf-- you not anything to boast about. I'm only here to help you break the curse for your servants."He nodded towards Mrs. Potts who was hopping back onto her tray.

"Mrs. Potts loves me too. Right?"Gaston winked at the teakettle.

She chuckled."Of course, master. Everyone here loves you." She rolled her eyes, smiling."You grew on to each of us over the years. Even if you are the reason we're cursed, I have faith you will break it."She winked at Lefou and rolled out of the room.

"You're lucky they love you. I would've hated you if I knew you if you weren't cursed."

"I'm sure you would've been all over me just like everyone else. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing you draped on my arm, Monsieur Lefou."

"Stop talking."He pointed back to the plate."Hurry up and finish so we can move on."Lefou turned quickly, rubbing his nose and fidgeting with the ruffles on his sleeves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This weekend I'll hopefully be able to post a bit! But I'll be with my mom and grandmother so sorry if they're a bit late or short!
> 
> Also: thanks to the people who've commented! Y'all really do make me wanna continue writing and I hope you're all enjoying this
> 
> Another note: I had to actually research proper table etiquette and wow there's TOO many rules for me to include so lmao search em up yourself and have fun researching proper knife use and the correct angle to have your back at when you eat


	5. You Won't Sleep Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm lame and there's actual Gafou in this chapter so have fun

Lefou fell against his bed as night fell, followed by Gaston dropping besides him. The sudden weight that had been applied to the bed made Lefou fly off the bed. 

"What are you doing in here,"he groaned, pushing up from the floor."I've spent all day with you- I want to undress and sleep."

"You can do both of those things while I'm in here,"Gaston cooed. Madame de Garderobe's doors shuttered slightly as she laughed.

"Master,"she gasped out."Stop forcing yourself onto the poor guy."She shuffled towards Lefou, offering him more leverage and support to lift himself up.

Lefou felt his cheeks burn slightly, but he ignored it and dismissed it that he was only embarrassed that he'd been practically thrown off the bed he'd been given onto the floor. Even if it was played off like an accident, he knew better than to let his guard down. "I'd rather not. Besides, you have your own bed and I already have enough fur on my bed and clothes."  
He pushed Gaston off his bed. The beast didn't budge. 

"Stop acting as if I shed that much."Gaston complied with Lefou's wishes and rolled off the bed."I just wanted to see if sleeping with someone was as nice as I remembered."

Lefou shrugged."Too bad. You'll be able to sleep with someone once we break your curse. I'm sure your future spouse will sleep with you as much as you want."

"But I don't want to sleep with my future spouse right now. It's not even if I want to or not- they're not here and you are."He winked."So what do you say?"

"No. Absolutely not. I had a dog growing up and it was amazing waking up besides him, but waking up besides a literal beast is a whole other story I don't want to dive into."He motioned to the door."Please, leave."

Gaston leaned in across the bed, faking a pout and batting his eyes."Please?"

"No." Lefou walked to the door and pulled it open."Out." Just as Gaston stood up to leave, in came what seemed to be hundreds of household appliances holding pillows and blankets.

"We heard that the master was going to be sleeping in here tonight,"Cogsworth blankly stated.

Lumiere carefully avoided the fabric, afraid to catch anything on fire."Yes! We hope you both sleep well and your dreams are anything but bad!"

"We're not sleeping in the same room."

Gaston smirked."Would you feel more comfortable if everyone slept in the room with us?"he asked, offering his paw to Lefou who desperately wanted to cringe away but awkwardly gave it a pat. 

His eyes traveled among the many enchanted objects who seemed intrigued, leaning in and awaiting his answer. "I guess not,"he groaned, pulling the ribbon from his hair and loosening the bow around his neck.

A lively chatter filled the room. Servants conversed and found empty spots on the ground to sleep. Mrs. Potts made sure to tuck in Chip and his teacup friends before burrowing herself in blankets. Lumiere and Plumette flirted back and forth, throwing in playful banter every now and then. 

Cogsworth was already asleep. 

Lefou laid in an awkward position on the bed since Gaston had thought it'd be a good idea to curl up besides him.

It took an hour for everyone to eventually die down and sleep. It took Lefou two.

He thought it was absurd. He was currently sleeping besides his captor who seemed perfectly comfortable. Yet, he just couldn't seem to relax. 

Lefou refused to turn towards Gaston for any reason. That was until he eventually did. The moonlight that slid between the curtains illuminated his dark brown fur. His chest rose and fell with a rhythm Lefou found himself following. 

It wasn't until then that he could see how this beast really was the man in the painting. The curve of his nose, how the fur around his chin and above his lip was a bit longer than the rest of his face- like a beard and mustache. 

He hesitated before reaching out and running his fingers through the other's fur. It was thick, yet seemed to slip through his hand with ease. He really was like a big dog. A dog that didn't know personal boundaries and how to treat his prisoners.  
Though, Lefou was happy he wasn't beaten or forced to work. Instead he was to be Gaston's friend. He was to support and help him break his curse, then he'd be gone to care for his family. 

Maybe he'd settle down with someone. Whether that person made him happy or not wouldn't matter, since then and there he promised to always remain by Gaston's side- even if it was as a friend. He'd be the friend who'd saved him and saw something worth saving at his friend's lowest moments. 

That would always be more than any significant other could provide for Gaston. None would be able to understand Gaston like he did- which made Lefou feel special. But, at the same time, depressed. He'd always have to stand aside as his friend waltzed and married someone else. Someone who'd never be him. 

He supposed, in a way, he was only there to train Gaston to be what everyone else wanted him to be. Kind, humble, handsome, and charming. 

But Lefou liked him as he was now- obnoxious, insistent, hardheaded, and still charming, in his own odd way. His eyes closed.  
He gave himself to sleep. His dreams were full of his aunt and uncle. A large dog, his parents, and a future he dreamed for himself and his family. 

 

~~~~

Gaston was the first to wake up. His blue eyes adjusted to the sunlight streaming in through the curtains. As they focused, he immediately noticed the round face that belonged to Lefou. 

He laid there for awhile, taking in the feeling of waking up besides someone and how nice his friend looked as he slept. 

As Lefou's eyes opened, Gaston was sure to roll over before he had noticed that he was currently gazing into his face. He waited until Lefou slid out of the bed, but that moment never came. Instead, the other edged closer until his forehead was pressed against Gaston's back.

Gaston slowly turned back towards Lefou, extending his arm to wrap around him and hold him closer when Chip hopped onto the bed.

"Good morning!"the teacup exclaimed. Groans erupted all over the room. "Was it something I said?"he asked, sinking back to the floor with a small clack. 

Gaston's hand froze just above Lefou's head. Before Lefou could question what he was doing, he pushed him slightly. 

"What was that for?"Lefou grimaced. 

"Y-you were touching my back.."Gaston didn't want to admit that yes, he totally tried to hug him.

"Oh. Sorry."Lefou kicked the blankets off, standing up. His back drooped as he pulled his hair back in a messy bun. 

Gaston watched as his short fingers smoothed down his hair. Watched as he held his head up high even though it was obvious he was embarrassed. 

"Since you're all awake,"Lefou cleared his threat, hoping no one noticed the redness fading from his cheeks."I think this would be a perfect time to teach Gaston how to make his bed."

"I know how to make my bed,"he snapped back.

"Properly."  
The appliances nodded. They all had a general understanding that their master was not at all used to doing any household chores. Even when he lived alone, he hardly ever cleaned up after himself and let chores that needed to be done stack up. 

Gaston slouched as his paws hit the ground and he messily made the bed.

"That's not bad but.."Lefou with the help of the other servants smoothed the blankets."Give me your hand- paw- thing."

Gaston gingerly let Lefou guide his hand gently across the blankets. Together, they smoothed out the wrinkles and then fluffed the pillows. 

Afterwards, everyone folded the blankets scattered along the floor and piled them up besides the door. 

Lefou clapped quietly, head cocked and hip popped."It's really easy cleaning up after yourself,"he cooed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear,"but can you cook?"

Gaston rolled his eyes, motioning towards the appliances that watched them both intently."They're here for that."

"But, master, if I may add. The easiest way into anyone's heart is through their belly,"Lumiere added, softly patting Lefou's stomach as he winked up at the beast. 

Lefou gently pushed his hand away, taking a step back." Yes. He's right. If you can cook, any girl-- or man,"he added quickly," would be impressed."

"I can cook."

"Burning things to the point where they wouldn't even be used as charcoal isn't considered cooking, master," Cogsworth retorted, wiping the glass of his face with a handkerchief.

"I've been hunting my whole life. Someone has always cooked the meat I've provided."

Lefou along with the servants flooded out the door. The short man lingered at the door until Gaston followed behind them.  
Jokingly, Lefou offered his arm to his friend. "C'mon. Cooking can be fun and you should be grateful your servants aren't afraid to tell you the truth."

Gaston huffed as he instead offered Lefou his arm- the other man hesitantly linked their arms together. "I'm only doing this to break the curse. For- for them."He looked ahead at the crowd of appliances laughing and chatting rather loudly. "They deserve to be humans. They've done nothing wrong."

Lefou nodded."That's good, but if you don't want this for yourself, you're never gonna be happy."He kept his eyes ahead, afraid to look up."I know I told you already that you really don't deserve anyone, but everyone is working hard to help you. It's ok to feel somewhat excited about breaking your curse."

"You're right,"he admitted softly. Gaston hated the way those words felt on his tongue. He'd been admitting defeat too often. But- was this really admitting defeat? Or was this him taking responsibility and owning up to the mess he's made. 

Or did he just like the way Lefou's smile filled with pride. He didn't look like the type to let someone take advantage of him- but at the same time, he looked like he genuinely wanted to be taken advantage of. He looked soft and even his stubby fingers were gentle. Gaston's hands were large and bulky. 

His fingers were precise but they fumbled whenever he had to do a simple task. He could easily skin an animal but threading a needle was a challenge. When he looked at Lefou, it seemed like he could also gut a deer then right after he could knit or do embroidery on a pillow.

They entered the kitchen. Pots and pans bounced around and the oven's door flapped open with excitement.

G aston watched as Lefou took in his surroundings. The smaller man slowly went around the room, checking out the produce. "How do you get all this food?"

Lumiere shyly stepped forward."We usually uh- dress up in a coat and walk into town. We're all fairly small, but together we're tall enough to be a small old woman."

Lefou nodded, holding back a fit of laughter. "Well, I guess we could make a simple meal. Nothing too extravagant."He dipped his hands in a bowl of water, wiping them off on a nearby towel."I'd rather you know how to cook a simple dish well then try to make someone complicated and it end up tasting mediocre." He pulled out a few eggs and potatoes.

Lefou, with the help of a spatula and oven top, demonstrated how to cook an egg with a small hash-brown."It might not be enough to satisfy you for the whole morning, but it's easy enough for you not to completely screw it up."

Gaston tried his best to replicate Lefou's dish. His claws broke the shell of multiple eggs and his paws weren't made to steadily hold a knife to evenly chop a potato."I can't do this."

"At least you're making an attempt. A man who tries and fails is better than a man who doesn't and waits for someone else to come along and do it for him."

Gaston sighed. He eventually finished cooking. They laid their two plates besides one another. 

Lefou's eggs were pristine. His sunny-side up eggs yolk bounced and looked as if it was waiting to burst. Gaston's were scrambled (he had given up on trying not to pop the yolk half way into the process).  
His eggs were a tad bit overdone- there was a soft crust of yolk on most, but it was a good attempt for his first try. 

"Isn't it such a nice feeling to be able to look and eat food you made?"Lefou asked as the kitchen slowly grew empty. Most of the servants left whenever Gaston had given up on making a sunny-side egg. They were almost positive he wouldn't be able to pull it off, but they were pleasantly surprised whenever Lefou and Gaston sashayed into the dining room.

They ate their breakfast together. Lefou sat to the right of Gaston, silent. 

It was Gaston who eventually broke the silence."Thank you for letting me sleep besides you last night."He internally groaned. He'd been thanking Lefou more and more often- he thought he sounded like a broken record.

"It was fun. I've had a few sleep overs with friends when I was younger, but none like last night."He twirled his fork between his fingers."Sorry for you know- accidentally touching your back."

"Oh,"Gaston laughed."It's fine. Just a bit awkward, I guess. Not just anyone gets to lay with me, by the way,"he winked."You should be honored."

"I might've been honored if you weren't an animal. It was like waking up besides a bear."


	6. The Least I Can Do

Foufou's heart ached each moment that passed without her nephew. She rubbed her fingers as her husband enveloped his arms around her.

She was confused. It seemed as if the two most important men in her life were traded for one another. 

Yes, of course she loved and cared for her husband, but Lefou was the last person he had to connect her to her family. He had his mother's eyes, his father's cheeks and her caring personality.

"Dear," she carefully pushed away her husband's arms."Shouldn't we go and help him?"

"I want to. With everything in me, but.. I'm old. We're old."He brushed back her gray hair, gazing into her chocolate eyes."He's young and resourceful. I'm sure he'll find someone to get rid of that beast. We should just keep living- or else he might not have a home to come back to."

Foufou nodded, glancing down at the floor."I'm afraid I won't be here when he gets back,"she choked out.

"Don't say that."Her husband stroked her cheek softly."You will and we'll all live together again. God didn't bless us with children, but he blessed us with Lefou."He kissed her forehead."I'm sure he's only going to bless us with more years with him- alive and healthy."

She curled into his lap, arms hugging her chest. "Let's just be prepared."

 

~~~~

Lefou had spent the rest of the day properly teaching Gaston how to wash the dishes, start a fire, and even wash clothes. 

Now, the sat at the doorsteps of the castle, gazing up at the evening sky. 

The sun was setting and Lefou was tuckered out. He made sure to keep distance between him and the beast, but the warmth of his fur was too good to keep away from. He found himself pressed against his side and drifting off. 

Gaston gently shook him awake, whispering softly,"Before you fall asleep, I want to show you something."Lefou sighed in protest, staying completely still and burrowing his face into his brown fur.  
"I'll carry you then."He lifted Lefou up in his arms- which made the shorter man squeal and grip onto his chest.

"Put me down!"he groaned."I'm awake, okay? I'm awake."Lefou hopped to the ground, fixing his already messy hair. He popped his collar and cleared his throat."Now, what do you want to show me?"

Gaston led him to the rose bushes Lefou had noticed when he first came to the castle. The perfect roses clashed against the white and black scenery. Snow glittered against their petals yet the flowers never seemed to wilt.

"You wanted to show me roses?"

"I thought you'd like them."Gaston gently plucked a rose. He twirled it between his paws before handing it to Lefou.

The thorns pricked his fingers, but he ignored the stinging sensation and took note of the way the small sentiment made his heart pound.  
"Thank you."He chuckled as he picked at the thorns on the stem."They are pretty, but I'm sure they're important to you if you take such good care of them."He extended the rose back to Gaston, a warm smile planted onto his face.

Gaston took his hand into his paw and gently pushed it towards the other's chest."Yes. I do care about them, but you're doing more for me than anyone else has done.. Besides my servants, but they're stuck with me."The ends of his lips curled into a smile."This is the least I can do."

"After all of this,"Lefou's gaze remained on the rose,"Will you set me free?"

Gaston's eyes widened. He'd completely forgotten that Lefou wasn't here on his own free will. With a swallow, he mustered a quiet,"Yes." He scoffed. "Keeping prisoners isn't exactly what women find attractive, unless-- they do?"

Lefou shook his head."Yeah- no."

He ran his fingers atop of the petals, pleased to find they were as soft as they looked. 

"Tomorrow, do you think we could work on my social skills?" Gaston asked, turning back towards the castle.

"Sure, but I thought you said you were perfectly fine at talking with women."Lefou tucked the rose behind his ear. "We could even practice a bit right now. Look, pretend I'm a girl and you're trying to court me."  
He twirled a loose strand of hair on his finger, puckering his lips and leaning against a nearby pillar. 

Gaston rolled his eyes but played along."Hello, miss,"he grinned.

"Bonjour, Monsieur,"Lefou replied, batting his eyelashes. 

"Lovely weather we're having."

"It's literally snowing in the middle of June, but I guess if that's your thing,"Lefou faked a giggle.

"This is pointless. I never had to talk to anyone to make them like me. My body always did the talking for me."

Lefou rubbed his forehead with a huff."Well, you're not all 'mister handsome' anymore. You're a beast. I'll help you get better at talking with girls and eventually wooing them."

"I just don't understand. It's so much easier talking to you like,"he waved his arms around,"this." Gaston's brows furrowed."I used to be so good at-- wait, I think I've got it."

"What?"

"You see, when I was human, I was so used to being exceptionally good looking but now I'm self conscious to the point where anyone slightly attractive makes me all awkward."

"You've been talking to me normally all day." Lefou frowned, hurt that Gaston didn't find him the slightest bit attractive.

That was until:"That's only because you weren't pinning after me. Trust me, I'd probably be fumbling over myself if you had walked into my castle, grinning, hair combed back and a light stubble on your face." He kept going."Instead you walked through my door, hair a mess, crying, and defiant."

A pink glow lit up Lefou's cheeks. "Trust me, I can flirt when I want to." He played with the rose in his hair. "But right now isn't the time- nor is it appropriate."

Gaston nodded, disappointment evident on his expression.

"I'm only here to help you then go home."Lefou stepped forward."And I'm ready to sleep now, please."

The beast led their way back into the castle. His head down and his arms behind his back. 

 

They had made it to Lefou's bedroom. They both lingered at the door for awhile, before Lefou turned the knob and stepped inside. 

He watched as Gaston walked down the hallway. He eased his breathing then called out to his friend.  
"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Gaston stopped in place, spinning around and practically skipping into Lefou's bedroom. "You shouldn't even have to ask." He stretched out onto the bed, large torso taking up over half of the sheets. 

Lefou undid his bow, let his hair fall from its ponytail, and pulled off his trousers and stockings. He hadn't realized how awkward it had been for Gaston who watched intently as he stripped himself of his clothes.  
He groggily slipped into the bed and shut his eyes, facing the beast. "I can feel you staring at me and it's weird."

"Oh!"Gaston shut his eyes."Sorry."

He waited a few more moments before opening them again. Gaston really wasn't all that tired, but he hadn't been the one taken from his family then happily help their captor get a date.

Lefou turned over. His legs curled into his chest along with his hands. He was cold.

Gaston was planning on getting out of the bed and maybe practicing what he had learned that day, but hesitated as he took note of how cold his friend really was. He remained in bed then wrapped his arms gently around his chest. Lefou's arms and legs relaxed at the sudden warmth enveloping him. 

They remained like that for the rest of the night.

~~~~

They fell into the same routine as the day before: make the bed, eat breakfast, then continue on with Lefou's next lesson.

"We're going to be continuing our little dialogue from last night."Lefou cleared his throat and loosened his collar."I'll be the person of interest again. It's good you have some confidence- or enough to be able to say 'hi' to someone, but after that, you don't know what else to talk about."

"I asked about the weather. That's something."

"That's a horrible way to start a conversation. A cheesy pickup line would've been better. Here, let me talk to you like we haven't ever met to show you what I mean."

"Okay?" Gaston crossed his arms and stared down blankly at the shorter man.

Lefou cleared his throat again, feeling his neck heat up with embarrassment."This is harder than I thought."

"I told you!" Gaston groaned. 

"But, I think the only reason it's hard for us is because we already know each other. Not extremely well, but to the point where we really need to have those awkward conversation starters."

"I'm so used to being confident. My confidence is what drew people to me- that and my looks."

"People do enjoy confidence, but right now, we both lack that."

"How're you not confident?"Gaston laughed."You're not ugly- any girl or man should be happy to have you."He have his friend a squeeze on his shoulder.

"My confidence doesn't matter right now. I'm here for you and I can worry about meeting someone after all this." Lefou waved away his hand. 

"I don't want to go over any lessons today,"Gaston admitted."I'd rather we just hang out- have some fun before I'm forced to go over exactly how many times to comb my hair or the correct way to hold open doors for possible suitors."

Lefou thought of what to respond, but held his tongue as he noticed the set look of Gaston's jaw. His mind was made and he didn't want to waste time convincing him there that their time was running out and they didn't have time to waste. "Okay. What do you want to do?"

"Let's go outside and play."

"Now I'm sure you're a child."Lefou forced a smile. "You'd rather run outside in the snow then stay in here learning?

Gaston grabbed Lefou's hand gently and dragged him outside. "Yup. Never've been a fan of learning and I doubt with you as my teacher I'd pay attention."

"What do you mean by that?"Lefou asked as he leaned down and let the snow slip between his fingers.

Gaston shrugged, his back turned."It's just hard to pay attention with you speaking to me."

"Phf-- that's sweet, I suppose."Lefou cupped a bit of snow and gently formed it into a ball. Then, he raised his arm and threw the snow at the beast's back. 

Gaston cringed as the wet slush slipped from his back. He snapped towards Lefou, scooping up a large amount of snow into his arms and dropping it onto the smaller man's head. 

Lefou jumped back as the ice slipped through his clothes and into his pants. He pulled at the snow and flung it out of his clothes. He laughed as he hugged his arms close to his chest. "God, now I'm freezing."He smiled and tightened his grip around himself. 

Gaston pulled Lefou into a hug, holding him close enough where Lefou could hear the soft thump of the other's heart. Just a moment before he was uncomfortably cold- now he was unbearably warm.

"Is that better?"Gaston asked, letting go but keeping his paws on either side of Lefou. 

Lefou nodded quickly, cheeks flush and body tense. 

Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth watched from inside the castle. 

"Are you convinced now, Cogsworth?"Lumiere asked, his arms crossed as he leaned against the windowsill.

"Convinced of what?"

Lumiere grinned, tapping on the glass."He's the one who's going to break the spell!" 

"Now, now,"Mrs. Potts giggled."The two have gotten extremely close, but it seems neither one wants to admit to themselves that they're actually quite fond of each other."

"Not to mention Monsieur Lefou is still content with handing the master off to someone else. Even after all this, they don't want to settle for each other," the clock added quickly. 

Lumiere shrugged."I'm certain they're destined for each other. I won't give up on them as easily as you two obviously have."

"I haven't given up on them! I'm just worried Gaston will marry someone else and leave poor Lefou alone. He's always been the oblivious type who never suspects someone besides the person he's pursuing is worth his time."The teapot sighed."I didn't want to bring this up, but we both know what happened when someone rejected his advances."

"I haven't thought of that girl in quite some time,"Cogsworth slouched."What was her name?"

"Belle I believe it was."The candlestick's fire grew dim."Her rejection sent the lord into a downward spiral of self doubt and isolation."

Mrs. Potts scoffed."It's not right to blame her for not reciprocating his feelings. If there's anyone to blame, it's Gaston. His fragile masculinity and pride was broken by one girl- doesn't that show something about him?"

The three grew silent.

"All we can do is count on Lefou to restore him back to his true self." Cogsworth hopped down to the ground. 

"Do we all believe in Lefou though?"

The three stayed still, heads bowed and eyes planted onto the ground.

"Of course. That's all we can do,"Mrs. Potts sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've reread BATB and watched the movie multiple times to try and make this fic decent but lol ah It's fun to write this but I'm so!!! Worried it's not entertaining enough


	7. I Have Never Done Anything Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YIKES!! Sorry!! I've been rlly busy with final exams and my birthday is coming up so !! 
> 
> This might be a short chapter but I rlly am trying my best to pop these chapters out. I'm exempting a bunch of my exams so hopefully it'll be easier to write :)

LeFou had gone through the rest of the day- his face flush and slightly dazed. He hadn't thought about what if he were to stay with Gaston, but after the few days he'd spent with him, he'd realized he honestly would enjoy being in the company of this man. Yes, he wanted to be free, but would it really be bad if he were the one to break the curse?

As a human Gaston might've been full of pride, and honestly the type of person LeFou would've fallen for regardless, but here he was: sweet and contained the faintest bit of humility. Gaston's self confidence had fallen and at first LeFou thought it'd be horrible to take advantage of someone who was deprived of human contact and had suffered loss of their self worth, but was he actually taking advantage of him?

He'd tried to help him out of pity first. Pity isn't really a good emotion to start a friendship off with, but pity can lead to something more. It would eventually lead to one person moving on. 

Or at least that's what LeFou believed Gaston would do the minute he thought he was ready. He knew the look men had whenever they were unhappy with their partners. 

He remembered seeing it on his fathers face, but it'd quickly be replaced with adoration once his mother would do something for him. As a child, LeFou knew his parents loved each other. Even if it wasn't a pure and burning love, it was enough for them to stay together until the end. 

Gaston's eyes even now as they lingered on LeFou were full of discontent and dissatisfaction. Or- was it? He blinked now, clearing his throat as Gaston's cold blue eyes stared into his own. He fidgeted with the lace around his wrist. He hadn't done that since he was a child but knew he had been doing it more often. 

Gaston and LeFou had sat by a fireplace. LeFou didn't want to admit that being held by Gaston's arms was enough to warm him up. But, Gaston insisted they sit inside (since Lefou's face was pink enough to convince the beast that he might develop a cold if they'd stayed out any longer).

Gaston gingerly placed his paw against Lefou's forehead. He tutted and moved away, not noticing how Lefou leaned into his touch. "You're still really warm."

"I'm sitting besides a fire, covered in a blanket."LeFou rolled his eyes and shoved the cover off his shoulders."Of course I'm going to be warm."

Gaston blinked. "You're right."He stood up suddenly."Sorry. I just didn't want you getting sick."

"My immune system is strong enough to fight off a cold. I survived this long."Lefou laughed as he stood up and folded the blanket on the ground."Besides, even if I'm sick, it's not like you'd let me go to the doctor or anything."

Gaston flinched."Do you really think that I wouldn't let you go?"

LeFou nodded."I don't anymore."He smiled and hugged the fabric to his chest. "I was curious as to if you'd let me go if I needed to and now I'm reassured."

"Good because trust me- I'd run you to the nearest doctor myself if you had fallen ill."He huffed out a laugh."It's funny. If we had met before I'd been cursed, you'd probably still be in that cell."

"You think so?"

Gaston nodded."I'm almost certain. I was so possessive and so sure that anyone should fear me." He gazed towards the ceiling."Back then I believed fear and respect were the same thing."

LeFou nudged his friend's arm gently."It's okay. You don't need to keep comparing yourself with who you are. You should be focusing on who you will be for your future.. wife."

"Or husband I suppose. I'd prefer a wife, but when the time comes-- one cannot be picky."He winked.

"Right. I'm sure one of those bimbettes back in Villeneuve would love to have you as their husband. They're triplets-- all blonde and beautiful."He sighed."Not the brightest, but they're respectable enough to be your housewife."

"If they're as beautiful as you said, why haven't you pinned after one?"

"They're not my type. To put it simply, I don't really like girls. Never have been interested in them and doubt I ever will."Lefou shrugged, ignoring the sweat forming on his palms. He knew that being attracted to other men wasn't something to be frowned upon, but here he was explicitly stating he has no interest in women at all to a man who he has a slight interest in. Wild. 

Gaston was quiet for a bit. The silence felt like it dragged on for hours.  
"I find both men and women charming, but I guess I can see where you're coming from. Men are always more fun to be around- less trouble and usually not as clingy as girls."

"That's not true. The main reason I'm not already married is because I've been told I'm rather.. clingy."LeFou cleared his throat and quickly rubbed his forehead."That's besides the point, I will bring one of the bimbettes here once you have learned everything I have left to teach."

"Which is?"

"Your social skills will be fine for now. We're running out of time and I'm desperate enough to throw a ditzy girl at you.. So, I guess all there really is left to do is ballroom dancing."

"Dancing?"Gaston choked."I'm a literal dog- these paws weren't made to dance on. Even as a human, I was figuratively born with two right feet."

LeFou placed the blanket into Gaston's arms and offered him a reassuring smile."You'll be fine. Tonight, wash up and we'll have a miniature ball as practice for your big day."He smoothed the tufts of fur sticking up along Gaston's chest with his hand and gently moved away.

"Lefou," Gaston gripped onto his friend's wrist,"thank you. I'm counting on you to help me."

"Stop making such a big deal out of this. It's just a dance and afterwards, we'll still be in touch."He felt his hand slip through the beast's."Now go and get ready. I'm sure Madame Garderobe has something for me to wear as well."

 

It took multiple hours for Madame Garderobe to perfectly tailor her stout friend a crisp yellow suit. The petticoat hugged him nicely and was decorated with a gold lace. His hair was combed back into a neat pony with a golden ribbon. 

He felt like a banana. The yellow didn't make him look as slim as he'd liked. The whites and yellows made his pasty skin pop out like custard spilling out of an eclair.

In other words, LeFou thought he looked hideous. He hid his face behind his collar and gave Garderobe a quiet "thank you". He was happy she'd spent so much time on his outfit, but he honestly felt like a duck that somehow managed to be the dancing partner for a beast.

He waddled down the staircase, Cogsworth walking besides him. The clock when on and on about how handsome Lefou looked.

"Yellow really does compliment your eyes, Monsieur!" Cogsworth complimented. The clock clapped his hands together."The master is still getting ready. I believe right now he's being groomed.."

"I'm curious to see if he cleans up well."

Cogsworth let out a small laugh."When he was human, he was keen on being well kept and pampered."He sighed."These years of isolation haven't don't much to help the one good thing about him."

LeFou shrugged."I doubt that his looks were the only good thing about him. Pride is attractive. Confidence and charm are important."

"I guess you are right."The clock nodded then hopped down the staircase."I'm sure he'll be down any minute now."

Several minutes passed before Gaston stumbled down the stairs. His fur was combed back into a pony tail. He wore a red petticoat and a matching velvet vest. The red complimented LeFou's yellow. 

Gaston offered LeFou his arm. The other man hesitantly took his arm and was led to a ballroom. LeFou hadn't really expected much. Maybe a small room with a chandelier. 

Instead he found himself in a room with a wide open dome ceiling. Cherubs smiled down at him as clouds danced around them. The gold pillars and glittering diamonds on the chandelier shimmered, leaving the short man dazed. 

"This is beautiful," he managed to gasp out.

"You think those girls will think so too?"

LeFou flinched, nodding slowly."They'll love it." He cleared his throat and laced his fingers with the beast's paws. With his free hand, he led Gaston's other paw to his hip. "Let's just get right into it."

"I have no idea how to dance."

"It's easy. You just sway back and forth and hope that the person knows how to dance. Besides, it's cute whenever something that's usually perceived as unattainable and perfect really isn't."Lefou smirked, hoping his words carried the message he intended them to. 

"Are you calling me cute?"Gaston cooed as he pressed LeFou closer to his chest. The closeness sent a rush of warmth to Lefou's cheeks as he shrugged.

"Sure."He awkwardly chuckled."You're like a puppy. A puppy that is unnervingly large, but still adorable."LeFou forced his legs to start moving. Gaston's head was towards the ground, his gaze following LeFou's feet intently. Which made the shorter man somewhat at ease- now they weren't really stuck with staring at each other face to face.

Somewhere, a faint violin played accompanied by a piano. Mrs. Potts began to sing a song LeFou couldn't pay much attention to. Not when he was in a situation that really would change the course of his life and who'd end up with. 

But, as the beast's chest was pressed against his own, he noted quickly that he had cleaned his fur. The clean scent of soap hung all around Gaston and the husky smell of an animal he'd never be able to get out of his fur. He recalled how soft the fur was underneath his fingers and pressed against his face. It was warm and hot- even now he was burning up. He tried his best to ignore the hand on his hip and imagined it was someone he could careless about. Someone who's feelings they shared were completely platonic.

He instantly imagined Belle. Though it'd be awkward for the petite girl to be leading him in a dance, it was enough for him to keep his nerves in check. The vision he held of Belle vanished as soon as Gaston spun LeFou into a dip. 

The move caught LeFou completely off guard. His eyes wide and his hands gripping onto Gaston's shoulder and back.   
The music stopped- along with LeFou's heart as he gazed up into the beast's eyes. He hadn't noticed it before, but his blue eyes glittered in the chandler's light. 

Gaston chuckled, not making an attempt to lift LeFou up into his feet."You know, even though at first I thought your outfit was quite hideous, you pull it off."

LeFou furrowed his brows and gave Gaston a goofy smile."I'm not sure whether to thank you or not."

The beast let out a quiet huff of laughter then pulled LeFou back up.  
"That was.. fun. I thought I'd do worse, but you were really easy to follow." A soft smile grew onto his lips."Though, you seemed out of it.."

"Sorry. I was uh-- I was thinking about my family!"LeFou grinned, his smile fading as Gaston's eyes dimmed.

"Yes.. of course. You must really miss them."

LeFou nodded, folding his hands behind his back.

"May I ask you a question, LeFou?" Gaston's voice went cold, his face stern.

LeFou nodded again."Of course."

"What's the point of all of this when in the end, we both know those girls are gonna leave me?"He sighed."I mean, even you want to leave me. Why is that? Why does everyone ultimately leave me? Despite how much I try you all want to just leave."

"Where is this coming from?"LeFou stepped closer to the beast."Do you honestly believe I'd leave you? After all this work I've done?--"

"Yes. What's holding you back?"Anger flashed in his eyes."Why haven't you left? Or are you just waiting until you can pawn off my problems to someone else? Just so you can get rid of me and walk away thinking you did a good deed?"

"Is that what you think all this is!?"LeFou yelled."You believe that I'd spend all this time with you just so I could go home and feel good about myself?"He scoffed."I thought you must've gained some humility after all these years, but I suppose not. You're so full of yourself you think I need you to make myself feel better! How-- how selfish. I do feel good about myself. I can proudly say I haven't done anything that would bring shame to me or my parents!" LeFou hissed back sharply,"Can you say the same thing?" 

Gaston's chest heaved. He opened his mouth to retort back but shut it quickly. He knew he couldn't say 'yes'. It wasn't true. He had done things he could never make up for. His parents would recoil at the sight of their son.   
His eyes closed, lips pressed firmly together."Just.. leave."

LeFou's eyes went wide. His lungs refused to take in air. Without speaking, he threw off his coat and left the castle. The door flung open with ease and even if his feet felt as heavy as lead, he urged them to continue on. He threw himself on top of his horse and rode him.

He fought every instinct he had that wanted to turn around and look at the castle. He wanted to see if Gaston was maybe chasing after him, watching him leave, but he didn't want to be disappointed. 

His already small expectations weren't even met. Why would the beast even try to meet them now?


	8. The Fool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeze I'm gonna end this fic soon and begin another GaFou fic ah this is the first time I've actually planned out/written a full fic wow.
> 
> Still a few more chapters before this fic ends but hope it's been somewhat enjoyable :')

Gaston watched as LeFou left. His gaze didn't leave his friend's back as he left the ballroom, past the front door. 

He wanted to go and apologize- to go and admit that he was wrong and he'd do anything for LeFou not to leave. His legs didn't move. Every part of him yelled to go after the small man who had come into his castle and brought a warm light back into it. 

But, he didn't. He knew this was the best decision. He should be dead. He should've been killed instead of made into this beast. Thought he knew that death was even too good for him. He deserved death but at the same time he deserved the pain of living as a hideous beast. 

His servants filled into the ballroom. A hopeless feeling hung over their heads. 

Lumiere's candles remained unlit- the lights around them dimmed until they were all surrounded by darkness. The dark seemed more welcoming and suited the mood.

"Is this where it all ends?"Chip asked. No one could will themselves to look the small teacup in the eyes and tell him his life was over the moment that it began.

His mother cleared his throat and hopped until she was infront of the beast. She held her snout up high and huffed."How could you do that?"she spat out. 

Gaston blinked. The anger thick in her words sounded unfamiliar- odd compared to how friendly and motherly she'd always been."What?"

"Things we're going so well. The dancing, the talking, the laughing. You were so close, but you screwed up. You had to get upset about how much he missed his family!" She rolled her eyes."You're so inconsiderate and yes, I know you are my master and that we should all show you respect, but you've cost my son his life!"

His eyes widened as tears threatened to spill."I'm sorry.."

"Is that all you can say?"Mrs. Potts took in a shaky breath and looked down."I love you- you're like a son to me. But.. why?"

"I don't deserve to be loved.."The words sounded unfamiliar on his tongue. It was weird how easily they slipped out of his mouth. They fit so well. He hadn't noticed how accurate they were until he sat and thought about them:

he's a horrible person who should be an animal. He should be shot and killed. He should've told LeFou he cared about him. He should've let himself have one thing. Part of him wished it would've been LeFou, but at the same time, LeFou deserved better.

 

LeFou didn't let himself cry. His eyes were tired- he'd cried too much lately and he didn't want to explain to his aunt why his eyes were red. 

He didn't take any detours on his way home. His cheeks flushed red at the sight of his cottage. The home where he'd grown up in and the only place he'd allow himself to call 'where he belonged'. 

He hopped off his horse and ran up the steps, hands frantically knocking on the door. Excitement rang throughout his body. It'd only been a few days, but it felt like months since he'd lain in his bed or cooked dinner for his relatives.

Seconds dragged on until FouFou opened the door. Her breath hitched as she was pulled into a hug. 

It was then when LeFou let the tears fall from his eyes. He cried for his aunt, his uncle, and for Gaston. The warm embrace he found himself in was welcoming and familiar. The two remained quiet- LeFou's quiet whimpers being muffled by his aunt's shoulder. 

She softly caressed her nephew's back, trying her best to calm him down."Sh, bébé,"FouFou cooed."You're home now. Let's get you inside and.. and cleaned up." It was then when LeFou took in the sight that was his aunt.

Her eyes looked tired, cheeks more sunken then they were. Her withered hands cupped her nephew's face and shakily stroked his cheek. He pressed his hand against hers and smiled. 

They went inside. LeFou was reunited with his uncle who continuously asked him questions about the beast and how he escaped. 

"I didn't really escape,"LeFou mumbled."He told me to.. he told me to leave and I did."

His relatives stared at him, wide eyed and suddenly confused. 

"He- he let you go?"his uncle stammered."I thought you must've used some sort of brute force.."

FouFou chuckled softly, her previously pale skin returning to its pink color the more time she spent with both her husband and nephew."Please, Farand!"she giggled."Our LeFou here definitely outsmarted him with his cunning wit!"

LeFou remained silent. His relatives continued to pester him with questions he waved off- unsure if he should tell them about their little experiment. Teaching a beast how to be human again isn't exactly heroic.  
"Believe what you want, but the only thing that is important is that I am home."

"Yes!"FouFou clapped her hands together."You are home and I'm sure everyone down at the tavern has missed you. Stanley came by yesterday asking where you were. I told him what had happened and he,"she paused,"he rolled his eyes and laughed.."

"Of course he laughed! The whole situation sounds rather crazy."His uncle tugged at the vest still hugging LeFou's waist."Before you sleep, why are you dressed so nicely?"

"Oh-- the beast tried to.. he tried to make me marry him."He pressed his lips firmly together. The lie made his cheeks red with embarrassment.. The idea of marriage wasn't too bad but he knew that lying wasn't exactly something that would lead to a good outcome. He brushed off the feeling of worry- reassuring himself he'd never have to worry about Gaston again.

The next morning, the sky was dim and the sun hid behind dark clouds. LeFou woke up to the soft pattering of rain on the roof.

He quickly dressed, kissed his aunt goodbye and went to town. It was exactly how he had left it. People busily walking past him and offering him a smile. The idea that no one had noticed he had been gone offended LeFou, but did he care? Not really. 

He didn't waste time and ran up to the tavern. It was pretty empty. A few animal mounts were hung in the wall, but nothing particularly amazing.

Tom, Dick, and Stanley were already in their regular chairs. They were bickering over something and didn't notice when LeFou plopped down next to them. 

It wasn't until LeFou said a short,"Hello," to them that they moved their attention to the short man.

"LeFou!"Stanley gave his shoulder a friendly pat."Where've you been?"

"Didn't my aunt tell you?"

The three looked at each other before they erupted in a fit of giggles.

Tom added quickly after,"You mean how she told us you were being held captive in a castle?"

"Your uncle came in awhile ago too. Going on about you being in a castle but-- phf, sorry, LeFou, but I think they both are insane. Hopefully it isn't genetic."Dick laughed and slung his arm around Stanley's shoulders."Stanley here proposed we go out into the forest in case you really were just lost, but here you are!"

Stanley smiled."Yes.. I suppose all the worrying was for nothing--"

"No."LeFou's brows furrowed, soft chuckles escaping his lips."I wasn't fine. I was taken captive-- and I do not appreciate you all tarnishing my family's blood."

"You want us to believe that monsters exist, LeFou?"Tom huffed.

"You take us for fools, Fou?"Dick spat out, eyebrow cocked upwards and arm retreating from Stanley's shoulder to the bar.

"Of course he doesn't. He's just-- he's confused. You sure you just weren't going on a drunken tangent?"Stanley pleaded with LeFou, offering him a half smile.

"No. I wasn't drunk and I do not think you are fools. You're only fools if you dare doubt my good word."

"Your word? Good?"Dick leaned into his chair."LeFou, as we've established multiple times, insanity must run in your blood. In ran in your fathers, your mothers, your aunt and uncle-- so it must run in yours!"

"Keep yourself in line and we'll turn a blind eye to this questionable behavior.. from you and your family."Tom stared down blankly into his mug.

Stanley rolled his eyes and grabbed one of LeFou's hands. It took a bit of willpower for LeFou not to snatch his hand away.  
"We all care for you, LeFou.. and none of us would do anything that we knew wasn't going to help you."

"Threatening me and my family isn't exactly helping me. There was a beast."

"Can you prove it?"Tom snickered.

"No.."

"So it doesn't exist. Seeing is believing and you aren't convincing any of us."Dick waved LeFou away, not even bothering to look upon his pitiful expression."I think none of us want to associate with someone who spews nonsense constantly. Who knows- perhaps your insanity is contagious!"

LeFou's face flushed red at the sound of the threesome's laughter. He had just gotten back from a castle-- where he still wasn't sure was the highlight of his life or not-- and they don't even want to believe him."It's real! And I swear to God if you don't stop sullying my good name you will regret ever meeting me."

Dick tilted his head slightly."Are you threatening us?"He rolled his eyes and placed his mug onto the bar."I promise you this, LeFou, if you continue on I will force your whole family to be condemned to that asylum. Monsieur D'Arque would happily accept you all! It'd be nice.. the whole family living together in a cage.."

"Do your worst,"LeFou spat. 

Stanley and Tom grew silent. Stanley's eyes went wide as he tried to avoid eye contact with both Dick and LeFou. 

LeFou shut his mouth tightly and retreated out of the bar. He once again didn't allow himself the luxury of crying.  
Fear ate at him. He had put himself and his family in danger. He knew it was only a matter of time until they would find themselves in D'Arque's 'care'.

He made a detour on the way home, not wanting to face his aunt and inform her that they should be prepared to fight to prove their sanity. His aunt was already old and frail- she would be too weak to even try to defend herself. 

His mind drifted to Gaston and his castle. It was foolish of him to leave without taking anything to prove he had been there. Now look what had happened. LeFou leaned against a nearby fence post and gazed up at the sun beginning to peak out from behind the dark clouds.

"I could take them there.. It would clear my family name and guarantee our safety,"he spoke to himself.

His jaw grew firm as he continued home. He had no idea what they'd do when they saw Gaston, but perhaps they would accept him. Their love and adoration might be enough to break the spell.  
Though, LeFou doubted it. 

 

It'd barely been three days since LeFou had left, but a mix of worry and longing already set itself inside the beast's heart. 

"I miss him,"he groaned.

Cogsworth adjusted his clock hands and sighed."We all do, master."

Mrs. Potts along with the other household items (excluding Cogsworth) had avoided their master throughout the entirety of the previous days. Their disappointment was evident and the petals remaining on the enchanted rose were already down to a single digit number. 

"Do you still think he might come back?"Gaston rolled onto his back. The curtains in his room were drawn tight and his blankets were scattered. Besides him laid the coat LeFou had left, folded neatly. 

"I'm not sure anymore. It's been days. He probably has moved on and forgotten about us just as everyone else has."

"Then.. this is the end, hm.."Gaston's ears flicked upwards when the sound of crashing came from the front door. The soft whistling of the wind filled the castle and sent shivers down the beast's spine.

Something or someone had come into the castle. Every ounce of hope Gaston had was screaming: "it is LeFou!" But he knew better than to let himself get too excited. 

He stalked out of his bedroom and crawled to the open door. Standing at the doorstep were three men. Behind them stood LeFou, eyes darting around the castle, searching for something. Or rather, someone. 

LeFou caught Gaston in the corner of his eye and ran towards the beast, extending his arms towards the animal."Here! I told you all he was real--"

A deafening gun shot rang throughout the empty halls. LeFou's heart stopped and his jaw dropped as his side was splattered with blood. 

Gaston fell to the ground, Dick standing feet away from him, his gun raised, hand shaking.


	9. Ensure We're Not Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter. I had no idea how to end this so have fun ;)

Gaston vaguely remembered when he had become an icon to the village. 

He'd been about sixteen. An age full of trying to discover yourself before you were pawned off to a wealthy suitor.

There had been frequent raids from the Portuguese and he'd decided one day that if no one else was going to stand up to them, he would have to. 

The blurry memories of murder and the lingering stickiness of blood on his hands used to be enough to make him gag. Now, after years of continuous bloodshed, he'd grown accustomed to it.  
It was disturbing how easily he could stomach the sight and smell of blood. Even if it was his own, currently staining the ground and dampening his fur.

The sight of LeFou standing over him brought him back to reality. The pain in his side choked him up- his lungs spasmed as they forced air into themselves. 

The gunshot wouldn't be fatal, or at least that's what he had hoped.

LeFou's hands shakily took off his bow and pressed it against the beast's wound. The blood immediately seeped through. He had so much to say, but nothing would come out. He didn't protest when Tom shoved him away from Gaston or when Dick grabbed him by the collar.

"Fou,"he whispered, eyes wild and a nervous smile playing onto his lips."Do you know how much money we could get for his hide?" LeFou pretended he didn't notice how much Dick's hand trembled. He nodded slowly, throat dry.

Tom nodded, pressing his own gun to the beast's chest."We could probably get maybe fourteen thousand livres- more if we are careful when we skin it." 

Stanley was hesitant to take out his own gun. The man swallowed and aimed towards the beast as well.  
"Tom, are you sure it's safe to stand so close?"

"I'll be perfectly fine."He cocked his gun.

A sickening thought crossed LeFou's train of thought. He gathered himself and gently pushed Dick away."If you guys didn't believe me.. why did you bring your weapons?"LeFou managed."You made it clear you thought I was insane, why bring weapons if you weren't expecting anything-"

"You are exactly why we brought our guns, Monsieur."Dick regained his composure, adjusting his own collar."It might've been a bit of an overkill for all of us to bring a gun- I mean, look at yourself. You're not exactly in the best shape to fight back. But who knows what you're capable of.."

LeFou's eyes lowered to meet Stanley's. His mouth formed a grim frown."Even you, Stan?"

The curly haired man nodded."I didn't think we'd need them, but Dick insisted we bring them and-- I trust him." LeFou's heart ached.

The four men jumped when Gaston rolled onto his side. The beast rubbed his head and nonchalantly pushed away the gun currently aimed at his chest.

The four stood in awe as the beast rose to his feet, leaning on his left leg. He towered above all of them, his slight limp not effecting the confidence and power he radiated. 

Tom, Dick, and Stanley staggered backwards, their guns aimed. 

LeFou stepped infront of Gaston, his hands thrown upwards.  
"Stop this. He won't attack--"

"Don't say stuff that isn't true, LeFou,"Gaston hissed.

LeFou threw a glare towards the beast. He hadn't forgiven him. It was partly why he even brought his 'friends' over. To expose Gaston for what he was, but mostly to show off the fact he had friends outside of their own little friendship. But, seeing him limping and shot in the side sent tremors of worry and guilt throughout his heart.  
"He will not attack you all if you just put your guns down. He's just a boorish beast. He's not worth our time and I'm sure we could earn that money by doing something less inhumane."

"It's not even about money. It's about protecting us and the people we care for."Dick steadied his gun, putting his finger on the trigger."Step away and we might let you take some of the reward."

"It's for the village's protection,"Stanley justified."Come over here. We don't want to hurt you, LeFou!"

LeFou huffed out of his nose. He still had hope his friends would back down. Part of him still believed they were rational and would talk things out. But, they'd been through wars and raids- not diplomacy.  
"Stanley, this beast will not hurt you. His name is Gaston and he's cursed. He is human and killing him would be considered murder."

"He doesn't look human. He's a bear--boar-- thing."Tom aimed his gun along with Dick."We will shoot. Regardless if you're infront of our target or not. We can't let him roam free or you if you won't see reason."

LeFou rolled his eyes. He knew that they wouldn't shoot. They were too afraid.

 

After a few moments of still silence, the furniture attacked. They slammed themselves onto the intruders who instinctively shot their guns. 

A bullet grazed LeFou's leg, the other two slamming into Gaston's chest. The two yelled in sync.  
They fell to their knees- LeFou cradling his bleeding leg and Gaston clawing at the three holes now in his body.  
He roared, claws extended and fangs bared. He threw himself at the three men currently fending off a mob of appliances. 

The beast manage to pin Dick to the ground, hind legs digging into the other man's legs. 

Gaston lifted his paw high above his head, staring down at Dick who fumbled with his gun. 

Stanley scrambled for his own gun which he had dropped when he had been stabbed multiple times by forks, spoons, and luckily dodged a series of knives. 

Tom immediately ran out of the castle, being chased by a small footstool and a barrage of feather dusters. 

LeFou's eyes widened. He bit down on his lip and limped towards Gaston and Dick as fast as he could.  
Blood dribbled down his leg, pants damp with the sticky red substance. 

He gripped onto the beast's back, pulling on his fur until he managed to get him to turn around.  
He almost yelped when he saw Gaston's face. Anger was evident in every feature of his face. His paws pinned Dick to the floor. 

The man was currently staring in awe, too scared to yell or call for help. His fingers scrambled for the extra bullets he had in the front pocket of his coat. 

"Gaston, don't hurt them.."He whispered, forcing the fear lumped in his throat down."People shouldn't be feared- normal people aren't feared."The beast's features softened, his legs relaxing.  
"See. Now let them go and we can be friends. I forgive you."

The tender moment was quickly disturbed when another gun shot rang throughout the halls. Time seemed to stop.  
LeFou was quickly tiring of the constant shooting and the seemingly never ending ringing in his ears, but didn't have time to complain. 

Dick flailed until he was no longer under the falling body of the beast. He threw his pistol and wiped the blood on his hands onto his clothes."He's dead,"he laughed softly."He's dead!"

The furniture went still. LeFou stopped breathing. 

"Why did you shoot him!?"LeFou yelled towards Dick, his hands balling into fists as he flipped Gaston over and frantically checked for a pulse. It was faint but he knew better than to exclaim he was alive when the people trying to murder him remained in the room.

"I didn't shoot him,"Dick wiped his hand on his face, a streak of blood being left behind.

"I did."  
Stanley's gun lowered slowly, his lips slightly parted."I'm sorry, Fou, but.. he was going to kill us. Maybe not you, but he would've killed Dick!"

LeFou's heart dropped, he cradled Gaston's head into his arms.

"Aren't you somewhat pleased?"Dick stood up, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaning his fingers thoroughly."You were his prisoner."

"I was his prisoner, yes, but it was different."LeFou glared towards the men."We were friends. We became friends. Even if we fought- he was and is still my friend."

"You're insane." Dick gave Stanley a toothy grin and they hugged.

"Leave."LeFou carefully ran his hand over Gaston's heart, resisting the urge to look up. He didn't want to be jealous of people who would never feel truly sorry for him."Give me a few moments with my friend."

"Are you kidding me? Who's to say you won't just run off with his pelt and sell it for yourself?--"Stanley gripped Dick's arm and pulled him towards the door.

"It would take more than a few minutes to drag his body outside, Dick,"Stanley hissed, eyes tired and free hand pressing against the nape of the other's back.  
"We'll give you some time to say goodbye, Fou."

The front door closed. The servants gathered close.

Mrs. Potts sighed, Cogsworth fidgeted with his arms, Lumiere watched silently.  
Hope was quickly draining from their eyes just like the slowing of Gaston's heart. 

LeFou finally let himself cry.  
He'd ruined everything. Gaston might've stayed a beast but he would've been alive. Alive for LeFou to come and visit and perhaps they would end up together. If only he wouldn't had given into fear and done a better job at protecting him.

Instead, here they sat in a growing puddle of blood. 

"You'll be fine,"LeFou whispered, his hands trailed towards Gaston's face."I mean-- you've survived this long without dying. Why would you die now?"

"LeFou,"Gaston choked out."I've been wounded multiple times in battle.. but.. none of them were like this."He barely managed to keep his eyes open.  
"I am dying."

LeFou nodded, laughing softly."Yeah.. I know you are.."It hurt to admit it."But what about our plan? You need to marry and become human again. Remember? You have to break the curse for them."He motioned to the cursed people surrounding them.

"I'm sorry. I deserve this..."His eyes traveled around the room before landing back upon LeFou's."I just want you all to know,"his hand cupping LeFou's cheek,"You all were my friends. If I am never to regain the pride I once held, I want you all to know I am proud to have been able to call you all my friends."His paw carefully stroked his friends face, smiling softly."Thank you, LeFou."

"Gaston.."He whimpered,"I love you."

"I love myself too,"he joked, lifting his head up slightly."I'm joking.. Joking."He smiled slightly. His features grew dull along with his eyes. They no longer shined- the glittering blue fading along with the life.

The furniture grew still as well. Stiff. Lifeless. 

LeFou grew unnerved being surrounded by nothing but emptiness and death. It was then when he pressed a kiss to the beast's lips.  
It was gross. Kissing a dead body that also was an animal. But, it was the only thing he could think of. If Gaston was never to wake, it soothed LeFou that they would still somehow be able to share a kiss.

He pulled away from the kiss and wrapped his arms around Gaston's body, allowing himself to cry into his fur. The warmth faded quickly. He stayed there for a few more minutes.  
Before a blinding light poked from behind his eyelids. 

It completely engulfed Gaston. His body rose off the ground. He was enveloped entirely by the light. It wrapped around his arms, legs, like a blanket. 

The figure LeFou knew as Gaston took the form.of something that resembled a human. 

He had long black hair, broad shoulders and chest. He looked like he had come straight from LeFou's dreams. 

Standing before him was a tall, lean man with familiar blue eyes. He quickly deduced this had to had been his friend.

LeFou hesitated before taking a step forward. He slowly lifted his hand to touch Gaston's jaw. He instead was pulled into a hug, pressed uncomfortably against his chest.  
"Gaston?"he whispered, not letting himself relax into the other.

"LeFou."Gaston pressed a quick kiss to his friend's forehead, pulling away and cupping his head with his hands."You did it.."

"I did it?"

"You did it!"

"I did it!"The small man wiped the tears stinging his eyes with his bloodstained sleeve and threw himself into Gaston's arms. They laughed together, not noticing as the previously still furniture one by one transformed back into their human selves.

Gaston was the first to notice his now human servants and pulled them all into a hug. In a matter of minutes, all the castle inhabitants were in a humongous group hug that filled the entire room. 

When they all pulled away, it was Cogsworth who was the first to open the front door and step outside. 

The sun light streamed in and with it came a glittering light that spread throughout he entire castle. The previously dark and dreary home turned to its pristine state. White walls trimmed with gold. Paintings that were previously torn and withered were returned to their original form.

LeFou remained in Gaston's arms as Dick and Stanley stepped into the room. Servants pushed past them, all too occupied with the want to be warmed by the sunlight or to stretch their arms towards the sky to actually fight the men.

"Where's the beast?"Dick asked, frantically looking for a trail of blood

"Who's he?"Stanley pointed to Gaston, brows furrowed. LeFou's eyes narrowed, his head held high.

"This is the beast you all tried to murder."His eyebrows rose along with his lips, now curled into a smile."I think it'd be best if you leave and never return."

Gaston nodded, gently grabbing LeFou's chin to place another kiss onto his lips."You both have two minutes to leave my home before I get my own gun and chase you off."

Dick and Stanley staggered off before sprinting out the door. 

"LeFou, I really am sorry for yelling at you. I just- I really am tired of people leaving me."

"It's fine."LeFou smiled as he took his friend's hands into his own."There is something we can do to ensure neither of us leave, you know."

Gaston ran his fingers over LeFou's knuckles, chuckling."Will you marry me?"

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of these characters are from the twisted tale version of Beauty and the beast! A good read if you'd like Belle with more characterization and depth!
> 
> I have no idea what to name Lefou's uncle nor did I think of someway to make Belle and Adam still relevant-- so take this Garbage.


End file.
